Valve



June 6, 1961 G. J. KNUDsoN VALVE Filed Jan. 6, 1958 INVENTOR.

GILTNER J. KNUDSON mwfw ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 2,987,293 VALVE Giltner J. Knudson, Guilford, N.Y., assignor to The Bendix Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 707,365 4 Claims. (Cl. 251-141) This invention relates to a valve and more particularly to a valve initiatin-g and stopping the flow of high pressure uid.

'Ihe invention has among its objects the provision of a novel pressure balanced valve.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a pressure balanced valve adapted for use under high nid pressure operating conditions.

A further object is the provision of a novel valve for initiating and stopping the flow of fluid under high pressure.

A still further object is the provision of a valve of the type indicated, which is useful in applications requiring rapid opening and closing action, as for the feeding of fuel to the cylinders of internal combustion engmes.

Another object is the provision of a novel pressure balanced valve which is solenoid operated, and particularly such valve which requires only a modest amount of power to operate it.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings :are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a `deliniton of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. l is a View in longitudinal axial section through an illustrative embodiment of valve of the invention, the valve being shown in iluid interrupting or closed position, certain of the parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal axial section, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the portion of the valve of FIG. l at the movable valve element thereof, the valve element being shown in uid passing or open position;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic view of a fuel injection system for a four cylinder internal combustion engine, such system incorporating valves such as shown in FIGS. l and 2.

The illustrative valve, which is designated as a whole by the reference character 10, is shown in FIG. 3 employed in a fuel injection system for a four cylinder internal combustion engine. In such system, each of the four valves is interposed between la fuel supply line l2, wherein the fuel such as liquid hydrocarbon is maintained under high pressure, and a branch line 14 leading to the respective fuel injection nozzle 11. It will be understood vthat 'each nozzle 11 is connected to the intake port or combustion chamber of the respective cylinder of the said internal combustion engine (not shown).

The valves 10 shown are of the solenoid operated type, and are operated in the required sequence, and at the desired time in the intake portion of the cycle of the respective cylinders, by a conventional control mechanism generally designated 15. Mechanism 15 includes a distributor 16 to energize the solenoids of the respective valves at Vthe proper time `and for the vdesired period, whereby to open the valves and keep them open for the desired length of time. Such distributor includes a shaft 13 driven at the rproper speed in synchronism with the engine, a contact linger mounted on the shaft, four equally angularly spaced contact segments 19 connected by Wires 20 to the solenoids of the respective valves 10, a cam 23 mounted on shaft 13 to rotate therewith, and a breaker point mechanism 28 operated by the cam. The breaker points are connected to a conventional control or brain box 17, whereby the duration of the period in which the valves are kept open in the fuel injection portions of the cycle may be varied.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is there shown an illustrative Valve 10 made in accordance With the invention. Such valve has an elongated, generally cylindrical housing 21, which may be made, for example, of cast steel. Such housing has a thickened portion 22, generally in the vicinity of the inner, movable valve element, to be described. Housing 21 has a generally cylindrical cavity 24 therein, generally spaced from thickened portion 22, said cavity receiving a solenoid coil 25 therein. A sleeve 26, made of non-magnetic metal such as non-magnetic stainless steel, has its inner or lower end snugly received in the central axially extending passage 38 in housing 21 in the vicinity of thickened portion 22. The lower end of sleeve 26 abuts a peripherally extending shoulder 49 on the housing. The Wall of passage 38 is provided with a peripherally extending groove rcceiving an O ring 36 which effects a seal with the outer confronting surface of sleeve 26. 'I'he upper or outer end of sleeve 26 closely confronts and contines solenoid coil 25.

An elongated central core member 27 made of a magnetic metal such as steel, is snugly received within the central passage in sleeve 26, and is sealed thereto by an O ring 34 positioned in a peripherally extending groove 35 in the wall of the passage in sleeve 26.

To adjust the length of operating stroke of the inner movable element 37 of the valve, to be described, core member 27 is mounted on housing 21 so as to be adjustable longitudinally With respect thereto. For this purpose, the upper or outer end of core member 27 is outwardly anged at 29, and portion 29 has threaded engagement at 30 with the confronting inner Wall of the housing at the inner or upper end thereof. Upon turning of the core member 27 with respect to the housing 21, which may readily be accomplished when it is freed by it locking means, to be described, the position of the core member relative to the housing may be adjusted. A slot 33, provided in the upper end of the core member, allows this to be done by a screw driver.

The core member may be locked in suitably adjusted position, as by jamming the threaded connection 30.y In the illustrative embodiment such locking means takes the form of an outwardly extending stud 31 threaded into the upper or outer end of core member 27, the inner end of the stud overlying the outer end of sleeve 26. After core member 27 has been suitably adjusted, with stud 31 `n raised position, the stud is turned so as forcibly to engage sleeve 26, thereby locking the core -member in position. Stud 31 may be securely held in core member locking position by a lock nut 32, which is screwed down upon the upper end of the core member for this purpose.

The lower or inner end of sleeve 26 has an elongated seat in which there is secured a circular cylindrical insert sleeve 39 made of hardened metal such as heat treated steel. The inner surface of sleeve 39 has slightly less diameter than the inner surface of sleeve 26 above the insert sleeve. The inner surface of insert sleeve 39, together with the inner wall of the portion of sleeve 26 immediaely thereabove, form the chamber Within which the movable inner valve element 37 reciprocates axially of the housing. Element 37, which has a circular cylindrical outer surface accurately and sealingly ts within the chamber. The element is made of magnetic metal such as steel, and of somewhat less axial length than the length of the chamber, so that it may reciprocate within the chamber, being attracted to move upwardly toward the core member 27 when solenoid coil 25 is energized, and being retracted from such core member, by means to be described, when the solenoid coil is deenergized. Movable valve element 37 controls the flow to outlet pipe 14 of fuel fed under high pressure to the valve from pipe 12, element 37 having a port cooperating with la port in the valve chamber in such manner that when the element 37 is in its upper position pipe 14 is placed in communication with pipe 12, and that when element 37 is in its lower position pipe 14 is cut oi from the source of fuel under pressure.

Pipe 12 is connected to the inlet end of valve lil by a means generally designated 44, and pipe 14 is connected to the outlet of the valve by a similar means generally designated v54. The means 44 and 54 are generally similar in their outer portions, the structure of which is shown in section at'means 54. As there shown, stud 55 extends through a passage adjacent an end of a hollow connector body 61 to which pipe 14 is connected. 'Stud 55 serves to secure such connector 61 to the housing of the valve, and central passage 56 in the inner end of the stud functions as a conduit communicating with the exit port of the valve and connecting it to pipe 14. Positioned on each side of connector 61 is a sealing washer 62. The threaded porlion 57 of stud 55 makes threaded connection, in that order, with a boss 60 on a clamping ring `59 encircling the valve housing, and a radial passage in the valve housing.

Stud 42 of means 44 likewise secures the respective connector body 61 to the valve housing, and serves to establish communication between inlet pipe 12 and the inlet port of the valve. A sealing Washer 62 is disposed on each side of such connector body 61, there being a washer'38 land a sealing washer 43 interposed, in that order, between the inner Washer 62 and the housing of the valve; VThe inner threaded end of stud 42 is received i in the threaded central bore of a nut 45 positioned in the bore 47 in the valve body belowV shoulder 49. Nut 45 has a screw vthreaded connection at-46 with the inner wall of bore 47. Nut 45 vis maintained in its suitably adjusted position, in which it functions as a lower abutment stop for movable valve element 37, by a locking key or pin 48 driven into a hole in the nut and into Contact with the threads on wall 47 of the housing. Fuel from pipe 12 is delivered to its connector body 61 and thence to the central bore 41 in stud 42. The fuel issues'from the inner open end of the stud and ilows into the chamber of the valve from which it is delivered when the valve is open.

.The movable inner valve element 37 has a central bore at its lower and central portions. Fuel within bore 4i) of the valve element flows outwardly therefrom, when theV valve is open, through one or more radial bores 50 lthrough the sidewall of element 37, such bores communicating with an annular groove 51 in the outer surface of element 37 and located in a plane transversely of the axis thereof; Groove S1 cooperates with the inner'end or port of a passage 52 which extends radially of the chamber in the valve housing from the inner end of stud r55, and thence through sleeve 26 and insert 39 therein, in that order. The groove 51 and the exit port forming the inner end of passage 52 are so located longitudinally of the valve chamber that they are in substantial alignment when the valve element 37 is in fully raised position (PIG. 2) and are out of alignment, and in sealing relationship with respect to each other, when the valve element is in its fully lowered position (FIG. l).

The valve element 37 is constantly urged toward its lower, closed position, by la coil compression spring 70 positioned within the central bore in the valve element and extending longitudinally thereof. The lower end of the spring rests upon a spring seat in the form of a split ring 71 which is snapped into an annular groove adjacent the lower end of bore 40 in valve element 37. The upper 4 end of spring 70 is of decreased diameter, and fits within a downwardly open seat provided by the anged head 69 of an upper abutment means having an elongated axially extending stem 67. Such stem extends through a passage 66 in valve element 37, passage 66 having a diameter somewhat larger than that of stem 67 but smaller than that of bore 40. Stem `67 is secured to the lower end of core member 27, being received within la. central bore at the lower end thereof.

In order to provide an efficient interaction between the solenoid core member 27 and the magnetic movable valve element 37, such two members are formed with confronting telescopically related frusto conical surfaces 64 and 65 of equal apex angles. In the illustrative embodiment, when the valve element 37 is in lowered, closed position the surfaces 64 and 65 are spaced a short distance from each other, and when the valve element 37 is in its raised, open position the surfaces `64 and 65 are in contact, surface I64 acting, as above noted, as an abutment to stop the upward travel of the valve element.

The valve is of advantage because of simplicity, its ruggedness and thus freedom from maintenance requirements, and the speed and precision with which it operates. Perhaps more important than these characteristics, however, is the aot that, in spite of its operating to initiate and stop the flow of fluid under very high pressure, the valve may be operated by a solenoid of relatively small size and having only modest power requirements. Such latter advantage results from the fact that the pressure of the fluid upon the movable valve elementis equalized at all times, so that the ysolenoid has only to overcome the resistance of spring 70-to move the valve element 37, in the illustrative embodiment to open the valve.

A consideration of FIGS. l and 2 will show that valve element 37 is at all times subjected at both its ends to the high pressure fluid fuel fed thereto by pipe 12. The two opposite ends of the valve element, in spite of their different congurations, have the same effective areas projected upon a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the valve element. Thus the pressure of the fluid within the valve chamber does not oppose movement of the Valve element; a relatively small solenoid suices to move such valve element rapidly to open position. The iiuid fuel, which occupies the space between faces 64 and `65 when the valve is closed, has the further advantage of cushioning the Valve element as it moves toward core member 2'7 when the solenoid is energized, thereby eliminating -the sharp metalic blowsV which Ywould otherwise result from uncushioned movement lof the valve element into contact with the core member. The frusto conical configuration of surfaces 64 and 65 also aids in the flow of the lluid fuel from between them into the other portions of the valve chamber when the valve Yelement moves toward valve open position.

.Although only 'a limited number of embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specifications, it is to be expressly understood that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, materials used, and the like, as well as the suggested manner of use of the apparatus of the invention, maybe made ltherein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will now be apparent to those skilled in the ant.

What is claimed is:

1. A solenoid operated pressure balanced valve adapted for high speed operation' in which it alternately stops and permits the flow of uid under highpressure therethrough, comprising an elongated casing made of magnetic metal and having a longitudinal passage therethrough, said passage having a counterbore of substantial length at a rst end thereof, an elongated tube-like sleeve of non-magnetic metal disposed within the passagel inthe casing and engaging andfextending a substantial dist-ance axially of the wall of the smallerpdiametered portion thereof inwardly of the counterbore, the casing and sleeve presenting an annular space of substantial radial depth therebetween at the counterbore, a solenoid coil positioned within the space between the casing and sleeve at the counterbore, an elongated cylindrical core made of magnetic metal positioned within the sleeve and sealed thereto radially within the solenoid coil, means magnetically connecting the outer end of the core to the first end of the casing, and cooperating valve parts within the casing at a second end thereof and generally beyond the inner end of the core, said Valve parts comprising an outer hollow cylindrical valve member coaxial of and iixedly mounted Within :the inner end of the sleeve, and a movable valve element mounted for reciprocation within the outer valve member toward and away from the inner end of the core, stop means to define terminal positions of the travel of the valve element in both directions within the outer valve member, said valve element having a central passage therethrough, a central inlet port in the second end of the casing remote from the core, a rst end of the central passage in the valve element directly confronting and communicating with the inlet port in the casing, a first outlet port through the side of the outer valve member, Ithe sleeve, and the valve casing, a second outlet port through the side of the valve element, said outlet ports being so located that, when the valve element lies in one terminal position the two outlet ports are sealed from communication with each other, 'and that when the valve element lies in its other terminal position the two outlet ports are in communication with each other, the passage through the valve element opening through a second, inner end of such Valve element, remote from the rst end thereof, at least a substantial portion of the valve element adjacent its inner end being made of magnetic material, the inner end of the core being generally conical, converging in a direction toward the second end of the casing, closing the passage in the sleeve, and closely confronting the second end of the valve element, the second end of the valve element having a generally conical seat substantially complementary to the inner end of the core, the opposite ends of the valve element which are exposed to the pressure of the fluid fed into the valve casing through the linlet port being of eqn-al area, the core constituting the stop means for the valve element which limits the travel of the valve element toward the tirst end of the casing, and means for moving the valve element in the other direction when the coil is deenergized.

2. A valve as defined in claim 1, comprising means for adjusting the core longitudinally of the casing whereby to adjust the stroke of the valve element, and wherein the means for moving the valve element in the other direction when the solenoid coil is deenergized comprises a coil compression spring acting between the core and the valve element.

3. A valve as defined in claim 2, wherein the two outlet ports are in communication with each other when the valve element is in its first terminal position, with the second end of the valve element contacting the core, and the two outlet ports are out of communication and are sealed from each other when the valve element is in its second terminal position, spaced from said core.

4. A valve as dened in claim 2, comprising an annular spring seat within the valve element adjacent the rst end thereof, a central post projecting from the inner end of the core axially inwardly of the passage in the valve element, an enlarged head on the inner end of the post constituting a central spring seat on said post, land wherein the respective ends of the coil compression spring abut the said spring seats.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,406 Weisgerber Dec. 28, 1926 1,822,668 Protzeller Sept. 8, 1931 2,449,438 Wisegarber Sept. 14, 1948 2,675,831 Jacques Apr. 20, 1954 2,750,962 Kreitchman June 19, 1956 2,863,473 Gantz Dec. 9. 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,279 Switzerland Feb. 1, 192A 477,091 Canada Sept. 18, 1951 

